It is conventionally popular to connect a printer and an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer into a printing system, and transmit printing data from the information processing apparatus to the printer to print. Some information processing apparatuses have a function of temporarily saving (spooling) data in a data format different from the format of printing data before generating printing data in a format (e.g., printer control language) processible by the printer. The temporary save data format is a format which is called an intermediate format independently of an application, printer description language, or the like. Data of the intermediate format (to be also referred to as intermediate data or intermediate code) can be converted into formats processible by various printers.
In an information processing apparatus of this type, data which is temporarily saved as an intermediate code is read out by a despool means, and printing data of a format to be finally transmitted to a printer is generated by a printer driver. This data format is a string of printer control commands to the printing apparatus, and transmitted to the printer for each printing job.
A representative known technique of a system including such information processing apparatus and printer is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-285421. When a color printer is used in this system, the printer driver provides a function of causing the user to set color or monochrome printing for each printing job. The printer driver also provides an auto-color function of determining whether a page to be printed contains color data, and if so, setting color printing for the page; otherwise, setting monochrome printing. When a printing job having color or monochrome setting is transmitted to the printer, the printer prints in a color mode or monochrome mode in accordance with the setting.
This printing system, however, cannot perform color or monochrome setting for each page in accordance with user's designation.
For example, when a document is created by a DTP (DeskTop Publishing) application, a page containing a color figure or color image and a page substantially formed by a text generally coexist. In printing such document, a figure or image is often preferably printed in color, but a text suffices to be printed in monochrome.
In some cases, a page substantially formed by a text contains an annotation which is created in color such as red by the DTP application. Although the user wants to print such page in monochrome, the page is determined as a color page because of the red annotation, and color printing is set in printing processing using the auto-color function provided by the printer driver. As a result, the user is charged the color printing fee for the page.
By monochrome setting for the entire printing job, monochrome printing can also be set for such page. In this case, monochrome printing is also set for even a page to be printed in color.
If the user wants to divide pages to be printed in color and pages to be printed in monochrome, he/she must separately designate pages to be printed in color and pages to be printed in monochrome in designating printing through the DTP application program. In this case, not only the operation becomes cumbersome, but also the user must arrange printouts. Even if the printer has optional functions such as a sorting function and stapling function, the user cannot utilize them.
In the prior art, the user cannot set color printing or monochrome printing for each page, posing many problems.